Hurricane Oscar Forces Cruise Ships to Alter Bahamas Itineraries

Hurricane Oscar is causing disruptions for cruise ships in the Bahamas, forcing at least four vessels to modify their itineraries.

The storm, which developed into a hurricane after forming as a tropical storm over the weekend, has already impacted several scheduled port stops.

Royal Caribbean International’s Utopia of the Seas canceled its planned visit to Nassau on Saturday, Oct. 19, due to strong winds. The 5,714-passenger ship replaced the stop with a day at sea, according to reports from guests onboard.

Despite the change, Utopia of the Seas continued with its three-night cruise from Port Canaveral, including a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay as planned on Sunday, Oct. 20.

Two Carnival Cruise Line ships, the Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Glory, also had to cancel their scheduled visits to Nassau on Oct. 19. Both ships were sailing three-night cruises to the Bahamas, departing from Charleston and Port Canaveral, respectively.

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wish was another vessel affected by the storm. The ship, which was on a three-night voyage from Port Canaveral, had to cancel its stop in Nassau due to the hurricane. However, it proceeded with a scheduled visit to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

According to The Weather Channel, Hurricane Oscar, now downgraded to a tropical storm, is located near eastern Cuba after making landfall twice as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm is expected to continue moving toward the southeast Bahamas before heading into the North Atlantic.

Earlier this month, another hurricane caused widespread disruption to cruise operations in Florida and the Caribbean. The storm, which reached Category 4, led to the cancellation of cruises from Carnival, MSC Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line, as well as impacting ships from Royal Caribbean, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess Cruises.